Ratchet-clutch for drilling-swivels.



No. 742,332/ PATBNTED 00T. 27, 1903. J, KUNNY, H. G. ARUNDBLL & P. R. KUNNY. RATGHET-GLUTGH FOR DRILLING SWIVBLS.

APPLICATION FILED APB..11. 1903.

NO MODEL.-

E NI E No. masse.

' UNITED STATES atented October 27, 1903;. u

PATENT OEEICE.

JOI-IN KUNNY, HENRY GRANT ARUNDELL, AND PETER R. KUNNY, OF LOS i ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. v

lFiATCHET-CLU'I'GH FOR DRILLING-SWIVELS.

SPECIFICATION forming-'part Of Letters Patent No.` 742,332, dated October 27,

Application filed April l-l, 1903. Serial No. 152,234. (No model.)

an intermittent progressive turning motion l in driving wells; and the object of our inveni tion is to provide a clutch that is positive in action under all conditions of drilling andv one which is durable and simple of construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a form of drilling-swivel with which our invention' may be combined. Eig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the ratchet-clutch in combination with the drilling-swivel. Fig. 3 'is a horizontal sectional View of Fig. 2 on the line a a. Fig. 4: is a side elevation ofthe pawl-hub. l Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of Fig. 4 on the line b b. Fig. 6 is a topl view iof the ratchet-barrel. Fig. 7 isa central longitudinal sectional view of the ratchetbarrel, and Fig. S is an enlarged View in perspective of the pawl and its bearing-pin.

Similar characters indicate similar parts throughout the differentviews.

To the lower end of a drilling-cable I is at# tached a swivel-rod II, with it head III, of larger diameter, turning in a cylindrical hollow casing IV, which casing is provided with an interior shoulder V, between which and the said head III may beinterposed a series of bearing-balls to reduce friction. To the lower interiorly-threaded end of the casing IV may be screwed a short piece of tool-rod VI, forming a connection between the swivel and an ordinary drill-stem used in well-driv lng.

In the upper end of the connecting-piece of tool-rod VI may be formed a cylindrical threaded socket 1, which receives the correspondingly exteriorly threaded lower projecy tion 2 of a pawl-hub 3, in the periphery of which are wide longitudinally extending grooves 4, each forming a working space for a pawl and having formed therein at oneside a tubular bearing-socket 5. In each of said grooves 4 and its socket 5 is accommodated a pawl 6, having at its base and integral with it a bearing-pin 7, whichlatter moves and is heldin the said bearing-socket.` The said bearing-pin is sucientlyinclosed in the said socket to be held properly and yet to allow `the thinner pawl 6 sufficient reciprocatory motion, so that its free end may easily glide over and fall into the angular depressions between the ratchet-teeth 8 in the inner surface of ythe ratchet-barrel 9', in which the pawl-hub 3 loosely turns'. A spiral spring 10, seated' in a socket 1l in the vside of each pawl-groove 4 and thence projecting against the innerside of the pawl 6, serves to force the free end of the said pawl into the angular depressions between the ratchet-teeth 8.

It is to be noted that the pawls 6 are in all respects alike and similarly disposed', except that they are arranged on their bearings at different and graduated intervals on the periphery of the hub 3, so that but one of them engages with'the ratchet-barrel at one time. This arrangement-is shown in detail in Fig.

V, Where one of the three pawls is seen engaged against the bearing-face of one of the ratchetlteeth 8, while the other two pawls are,

respectively, one up one-third and the other two-thirds of theside of their respective ratchet teeth. The bearing faces of the ratchet-teeth 8 are inclined, so that each engages approximately at right angles with the pawls 6.

In the elongated upper end of the ratchetbarrel 9 is an interiorl thread 12, by which it may be screwed to a lower threaded projection 13 of the swivel-head III.

The (Wire) drilling-cable I may pass through the center of the swivel-rod II and can be 'socketed in the head III and its projection 13,

the hole 14 serving for pouring melted Babbitt metal into the socket tof rigidly x the cable I.

At the lower edge of the clutch-box, formed by tween the Yswivel-head III and the connectthe elongation of the swivel-casing IV be ICO ing tool-rod VI, may be bored vent-holes 15 through the swivel-casing IV.

In operation the cable I, being composed of separate twisted strands, lengthens and unravels more or less upon the raising of the drill-tools suspended from its lower end. In unraveling it turns with it the swivel-rod II and the ratchet-barrel 9, and as one of the ratchet-teeth 8 will now bearagainst the free end ofa pawl G, set in the pawl-hub 3, the parts connected with the latter, including the drill, are thus made to partake of this turning motion. The delivery of a stroke relieves for a moment the strain on the cable I, and it immediately springs back toward its normal twist, but now turning with it only the swivel-rod II and the ratchet-barrel 9, as the pawls 6 slip easily over the ratchet-teeth 8. As the up-and-down action of the drilling apparatus is quite abrupt and causes an equally abrupt torsional action in the cable I, the swivel alone, although effective in relieving the torsional strain upon said cable, becomes ineffective in turning the drillingtools,whioh always are ofconsiderable weight, to produce a round and straight hole. The same cause makes a clutch for the drillingswivel unsatisfactory which does not set or engage at onceas the cable begins to turn the swivel-pin, as it is evident that lost motion will cause the clutch to engage with a blow, the effect of which is more to break` or crush the parts of the clutch at the points of impact than to turn the drill. In ourimproveinent lost motion is reduced to a minimum, and thus the full torsional energy of the cable I utilized to produce turning motion in the drill by the graduated arrangement of the pawls 6 upon the pawl-hub 3,

the proper inclination of the bearing-faces of the ratchet-teeth 8, and, lastly, by the pin and tubular socket-bearings of the pawls 6, which bearing is peculiarly adapted to resist the Wearing effect of the severe shocks to which it is subjected. It will further be noted that the ratchet-clutch may be of a considerable vertical height, so as to provide large bearing-surfaces, as shown in the drawings. Having thus described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A drilling-spindle comprising a swivelrod, a cable secured thereto, a head on the rod, a casing inclosing the rod and head, antifriction means located between the rod and casing, a ratchet-barrel secured to the rod and turning therewith, a tool-rod secured to the casing beneath the ratchet-barrel, a pawl-hub secured to the tool-rod, and means carried by the pawl-hub adapted to intermittently engage the ratchet-barrel.

2. A drilling-spindle comprising a swivelrod to which a cable is secured, a casing surrounding the swivel-rod and movable with respect thereto, a ratchet-barrel, secured to the swivel-rod, a tool-rod secured to the casing and movable therewith, a pawl-hub carried by the tool-rod and means mounted in the pawl-hub for intermittently engaging the ratchet-barrel. A

A drilling-spindle comprising a swivelrod to which a cable is secured, a casing surrounding the swivel-rod and movable with respect thereto, a ratchet-barrel, secured to the swivel-rod, a tool-rod secured to the casing and movable therewith, a pawl-hub carried by the tool-rod and means mounted in the pawl-hub for intermittently engaging the ratchet-barrel, the casing provided with ventapertures.

4. A drilling-spindle comprising a hollowV casing, an internal shoulder formed therein, the lower end of the casing being internally threaded, a tool-rod having an external shoulder formed thereon, the upper end ofthe toolrod being threaded and received in the lower end of the casing, and coperating clutch members carried by the tool-rod and the swivel-rod, respectively, the clutch members inclosed within the outer casing.

5. A drill-spindle comprising a swivel-rod, a casing inclosing the swivel-rod, a tool-rod secured to the casing, and provided with a socket, a pawl-huh received in the socket, a ratchet-barrel secured to the swivel-rod and means carried by the pawl-hub to intermittently engage the ratchet-barrel.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN KUNNY. HENRY GRANT ARUNDELL. PETER R. KUNN Y. Witnesses:

WALLACE W. COOPER, W. B. WINGER. 

